Event History: 2017 Support4Sport Awards

And the winners are . . .

Sport Nova Scotia honours recipients of the 2017 Support4Sport Awards

Halifax (Saturday, May 27) – Over 500 members of the Nova Scotia sport community gathered at the World Trade & Convention Centre tonight as the winners of the 2017 Support4Sport Awards were unveiled by Sport Nova Scotia. The annual prestigious event honoured the achievements of approximately 200 athletes, coaches, officials, sponsors, sport associations, and volunteers from across the province. Among them, a story for the ages as a group of young basketball players make history, the best female gymnast in Canadian olympic history, a woman officiating the highest level of soccer on the planet, a basketball player drawing attention from NBA scouts, and a young high school principal whose example as an athlete, father, coach, husband, student, and leader has already formed a formidable legacy.

“We run several athlete recognition programs, but this is probably the favourite for the team at Sport Nova Scotia because it is designed to honour all the qualities of sport that can have the greatest impact and, in some cases, change lives,” says Jamie Ferguson, CEO, Sport Nova Scotia. “Many of the award winners are barely teenagers and it’s both humbling and inspiring to see what they’ve already achieved.”

This was the inaugural year for the Title Sponsorship from the Nova Scotia Provincial Lotteries and Casino Corporation which launched the Support4Sport program in 2006. “Support4Sport has been a game changer for the sport system in this province,” says Ferguson. “It’s safe to say that every single person in this room has benefited from this funding, whether directly or indirectly.”

“We are proud to partner on an event that shines a light on the very best in sport in our province,” says Bob MacKinnon, CEO of the Nova Scotia Provincial Lotteries and Casino Corporation. “The individuals that we’re recognizing - many of them just getting started – epitomize hard work, dedication and excellence. Every single nominee is a role model for the rest of us.”

Sport Nova Scotia members (the Provincial Sport Organizations) submit one nominee per category. These are the “PSO winners”. Over 180 PSO winners were submitted by 39 PSOs. Except the Sport Nova Scotia Chair's Award, all overall winners (as below) were then chosen from this field. Two committees reviewed all the selections. These volunteer committees were comprised of leaders of the Provincial Sport Organizations, representatives from the Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic, members of the media, Sport Nova Scotia’s board of directors, and community sport stakeholders. The first committee looked at the nominee’s most outstanding performance of the past year. This is worth 60% of the nominee’s overall score. The top five candidates in each category advanced to the second committee. Members of the second selection committee were charged with looking at “the whole picture” - the overall year, past successes, obstacles, the competitive field, and any other outstanding considerations. This mark was worth 40% of the nominee’s overall score.

The overall winners (across all sports) of the night are:

The Support4Sport Team of the Year – U17 Boys Provincial Team (Basketball)

The Support4Sport Female Individual Athlete of the Year - Ellie Black from Halifax (Gymnastics)

The Support4Sport Male Individual Athlete of the Year - Mark de Jonge from Halifax (CanoeKayak)

The Support4Sport Female Team Athlete of the Year – Genevieve Orton from Dartmouth (CanoeKayak)

The Support4Sport Male Team Athlete of the Year – Lindell Wigginton from Halifax (Basketball)

The Support4Sport Coach of the Year - David Kikuchi from Fall River (Gymnastics)

The Support4Sport Official of the Year - Marie–Soleil Beaudoin from Halifax (Soccer)

The Support4Sport Association of the Year Awards (two winners): Wentworth Ski Race Club AND Pictou County Recreation and Athletic Society

The Support4Sport Program was introduced by the Nova Scotia Provincial Lotteries and Casino Corporation in 2006. Funds are raised through the sale of designated lottery products. Each time one of those products is sold, 100% of the proceeds help Nova Scotians get in the game. Since its inception in 2006, the program has helped raise over $32 million to help develop community and provincial sport programs, and provide training and development opportunities for amateur athletes, coaches and officials. The allocation of Support4Sport funding is managed by our program partner, Sport Nova Scotia.
About Sport Nova Scotia

Sport Nova Scotia is a voice for amateur sport that promotes the benefits of health, personal development and achievement of all participants. Sport Nova Scotia is a non-profit, non-government federation representing over 55 Provincial Sport Organizations and more then 160,000 member Nova Scotians.